July 2016
EDITORIAL ANDREA D. PHILLOTT1,2
1 Co-editor, Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 2Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh [email protected]
Welcome to Issue 24 of IOTN, in which papers describe Peru, in April 2016, we encourage you to read the threats to sea turtles, including entanglement of adult International Sea Turtle Society’s President’s Report turtles in fshing gear and potential destruction of for highlights of the symposium. Te 2017 symposium nests by vegetation and ants, and an update from the will be held in Las Vegas, USA, and we recommend Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network in India. Also that those planning to attend apply for an ISTS travel described is a new book about sea turtle conservation grant to reduce travel costs. IOTN24 also reports on a in India by IOTN founding editor, Kartik Shanker. workshop on the ecology and conservation of sea turtles in the Persian Gulf. Organisers of future conferences and As distance prevented many from South and South workshops in the Indian Ocean region are encouraged to East Asia from attending the 36th Annual Symposium advertise their event and report its outcomes in IOTN. on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation held in Lima,
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter was initiated to provide a forum for the exchange of information on sea turtle biology and conservation, management and education and awareness activities in the Indian subcontinent, Indian Ocean region, and south/southeast Asia. If you would like to submit a research article, project profile, note or announcement for Issue 25 of IOTN, please email material to [email protected] before 1st November 2016. Guidelines for submission can be found on the last page of this newsletter or at http://www.iotn.org/submission.php.
1 Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 24
ARTICLES THREATS TO OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES ON THE SUNDARBANS COAST OF BANGLADESH
MD. ABDUL AZIZ
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
Marine turtles demonstrate continued population A feld survey from December 2015 to March 2016 for decline across their ranges due to an array of natural a tiger study allowed an opportunistic survey for sea and anthropogenic threats. Treats are pervasive turtles on several isolated beaches in the Sundurbans, because turtles share multiple geographical localities from Mandarbaria in the west to Dimer char in the east and habitats (Márquez, 1990) and are ofen afected (approximately 11km of coastline) (Figure 1). Beaches by both direct and indirect factors, including were examined for indications of turtle nesting, fshing incidental capture in fshing nets, direct exploitation, activities on beaches and nearby coastal waters, remains or disturbance to nesting areas (Pandav et al., 1997). of dead turtles, and beach erosion. Interviews with Consequently, marine turtle species are listed with 14 fshermen in Dublar char fshing village were also diferent level of endangerment in the wild (IUCN, 2016). conducted.
Five species of marine turtles are recorded from the No signs of sea turtle nesting on the islands surveyed were coastal waters of Bangladesh: the olive ridley, green, observed during our brief study. However, nine dead olive hawksbill, loggerhead and leatherback turtles (Ahmed et ridley turtles (Figure 1) were recorded, seven of which al., 1986). Coastal Bangladesh extends from the southeast were within the Dublar char fshing village and included Teknaf peninsula and adjacent St Martin’s Island to three freshly killed individuals and four older carapaces the southwest beaches of the Sundarbans. Te largest partially covered by sand. Two additional carapaces were nesting populations of all species, with the exception of observed in the forest and had been eaten by wild boar. loggerheads, which are not known to nest in Bangladesh, occur on St. Martins Island. Olive ridleys are the most Tere were no indications of entanglement in nets abundant nesting species at this location (Islam, 2002) and around the neck and fippers of dead turtles, although are also reported to nest on the sandy south-face beaches this would have been difcult to observe on older of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh (Gani, 2000). However, carcasses. However, interviews with fshers indicated research and conservation eforts have been mainly that all turtles died afer entanglement in fshing nets confned to St. Martin’s Island with little information and were carried back to the village by fshers with their available about populations in the Sundarbans islands. catch then discarded. Tere was no indication that turtle meat was removed to be eaten before the carcasses were Te Sundarbans is the largest halophytic mangrove discarded. Other turtles were thrown into the sea for fear forest in the world, covering 10,000km2 between of detection by staf of the Forest Department (Marine Bangladesh and India. Te forest includes a maze of turtles known to occur in Bangladesh are included in rivers and creeks fowing from north to south into the the Schedule I of the Bangladesh Wildlife Protection Bay of Bengal, and human communities in north and & Security Act 2012 (MoEF, 2012). Such turtles are east. Of the many isolated forest islands in the south likely washed on to beaches across the Sundarbans. of the Sundarbans, Dublar char (island) is home to thousands of artisanal fshers for six to eight months Te number of dead turtles observed during the every year (Huda & Haque, 2001). Fishers employ a 4-month survey suggests a need to more precisely wide variety of gear, including gillnets (drif, large mesh, quantify bycatch rates and mortality in the area during fxed, and bottom set), estuarine set bag nets, trammel the fshing season (mainly from October to February). nets, beach seines, push nets, drag nets, and diferent Although no butchered turtles were observed in this types of hand-operated gears and traps (Hoq, 2007). study, many communities, including those living in
2 July 2016
Figure 1. Study areas and locations of dead turtles of the Sunderbans coast. the Sundarbans, are known to consume turtle meat also occur. Seine nets were prominent of beaches and trade turtle products (Islam, 2001), so it is also from December-March, which coincides with the possible that live turtles, turtle meat or eggs may be turtle nesting season in Bangladesh from October traded to local markets in Khulna and elsewhere. to April (Islam et al., 2011), whilst activities such as fshing, anchoring, loading and unloading of fshing Disturbance of nesting turtles in the Sundurbans may vessels, drying of fshes, and repairing fshing nets
3 Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 24
were common on the beaches of fshing communities Huda, M.S. & M.E. Haque 2001. Current status of Dublar Char such as that at Dublar char. Observations suggest that winter fshery and options for improvements. Internal Notes– many beaches in Mandarbaria which were previously IN No. 37. Sundarbans Biodiversity Conservation Project, used for turtle nesting (Gani, 2000) are now exposed Bangladesh Forest Department, Khulna, Bangladesh. muddy banks potentially unsuitable for nests. Islam, M.Z. 2001. Notes on the trade in marine turtle products in Bangladesh. Marine Turtle Newsletter 94: 10. Long term ecological monitoring of marine turtle populations and their beach habitats across whole Islam, M.Z. 2002. Marine turtle nesting at St. Martin’s Island, coastal waters of Bangladesh including Sundarbans Bangladesh. Marine Turtle Newsletter 96: 19-22. is strongly recommended. Working with Dublar char fshermen to raise awareness about the ecological Islam, M.Z., F. Ehsan & M.M. Rahman. 2011. Nesting sea turtles importance of turtles and introduce devices to at Sonadia Island, Bangladesh. Marine Turtle Newsletter 130: 19- reduce bycatch, such as LEDs (Ortiz et al., 2016), 22. may help reduce the killing of marine turtles. IUCN. 2016. Te IUCN Red List of Treatened Species. Version 2015-4. Downloaded from www.iucnredlist.org on 09 June ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2016.
Tis survey was carried out during a large-scale Márquez M.R. 1990. Sea turtles of the world. An annotated and tiger study in the Bangladesh Sundarbans that was illustrated catalogue of sea turtle species known to date. FAO supported by Panthera, WildTeam’s BAGH Project, and Species Catalogue, FAO Fisheries Synopsis 11(125): 81 pp. the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission of UK. MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests). 2011. Compensation policy for casualties caused by wildlife. Literature cited: Bangladesh Forest Department, MoEF, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Ahmed, B., K.M.N. Huda & G.S.M. Asmat. 1986. Te breeding of the olive ridley. Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz at St. Ortiz N., J.C. Mangel, J. Wang, J. Alfaro-Shigueto, S. Pingo, Martin’s island, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Zoology 14: A. Jimenez, T. Suarez, Y. Swimmer, F. Carvalho & B.J. Godley. 59-68. 2016. Reducing green turtle bycatch in small-scale fsheries using illuminated gillnets: Te cost of saving a sea turtle. Marine Gani, M.O. 2000. Te olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) Ecology Progress Series 545: 251-259. of the Sunderbans coast. Tigerpaper 27: 7–11. Pandav, B., B.C. Choudhury & C.S. Kar. 1997. Mortality of olive Hoq, M.E. 2007. An analysis of fsheries exploitation and ridley turtles due to incidental capture in fshing nets along the management practices in Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem. Orissa coast, India. Oryx 31: 32-36. Bangladesh. Ocean and Coastal Management 50: 411–427.
4 July 2016
ENTANGLED HAWKSBILL TURTLE SAVED BY FISHERFOLK OF MULOOR, KARNATAKA
BINDU SULOCHANAN1#, VEENA. S1, PRATHIBHA ROHIT1 AND V. KRIPA2
1Mangalore Research Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Karnataka, India
2Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, India
On October 3rd 2015 the fsherfolk of Muloor, Udupi Turtles of the Indian Subcontinent (eds. Shanker, K & B.C. District of Karnataka, India, found a hawksbill turtle Choudhury). Pp 33-57. Universities Press, Mumbai, India. (Eretmochelys imbricata) entangled in a ghost gillnet and struggling to swim at a depth of 6m around 3km from Baillie, J. & B. Groombridge . 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Treatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, the shore of Kaup Beach (13.22361°N, 74.73722°E). As UK. they were aware that turtles need to be protected, they brought the turtle to the shore, cut the entangled net Dileepkumar, N. & C. Jaykumar. 2002. Field study and and released it back to the sea. Te curved carapace networking for turtle conservation in Kerala – A GOI-UNDP length was measured at 65cm and the weight estimated Sea Turtle Project Report. Tanal Conservation Action & at ~48kg. Te hawksbill is a critically endangered sea Information Network, Trivandrum, India. turtle as per global IUCN listing. In India, hawksbill Dileepkumar, N. & C. Jaykumar. 2006. Sea turtles of Kerala. turtles nest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and to In: Marine Turtles of the Indian subcontinent (eds. Shanker, K. a lesser extent in Lakshadweep (Andrews et al., 2006). & B.C. Choudhury). Pp 137–140. Universities Press, Mumbai, Tere are no confrmed reports of hawksbill turtles India. nesting along the Karnataka coast, but fsherfolk have previously reported sighting hawksbill turtles ofshore of Gaos, A.R., R.L. Lewinson, I. Yanez, B.P. Wallace, M.J. Liles, W.J. Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts in Karnataka (Ravi & Nichols, A. Baquero, C.R. Hasbun, M. Vasquez, J. Urteaga & J.A. Rakesh, 2013) and hawksbill turtle carapaces have been Seminof. 2012. Shifing the life-history paradigm: discovery of found in fshers’ houses in Karnataka (Sharath, 2006). novel habitat use by hawksbill turtles. Biology Letters 8: 54-56.
Katdare, V.D. 2013. Marine turtle habitats in Maharashtra- Infrequent, and not recent, hawksbill turtle nesting has Distribution, status and threats. In: Marine Turtles been observed in Maharashtra (Katdare, 2013) but not in Along the Indian Coast. Distribution, Status, Threats and Kerala (Dileepkumar & Jaykumar 2002, 2006), states to the Management Implications (ed. Kurian, A.). Pp 136-154. north and south of Karnataka respectively. Terefore, this WWF-India. Available online at assets.wwfindia.org/ turtle could have been a small breeding female migrating downloads/turtle_report_web.pdf. to its nesting beach. Alternatively, it may inhabit the local area; hawksbill turtles have been observed by fshers in Pandit, R. & R. Soans. 2013. Marine turtle habitats and Karnataka (Pandit & Soans, 2013). Hawksbill turtles nesting status in Karnataka. In: Marine Turtles Along inhabit a wide range of habitats during their adult life, the Indian Coast. Distribution, Status, Threats and Management Implications (ed. Kurian, A.). Pp 113-126. including coastal waters (Baillie & Groombridge, 1996), WWF-India. Available online at assets.wwfindia.org/ lagoons, coral reefs, estuaries, and mangrove swamps downloads/turtle_report_web.pdf. (Gaos et al., 2012). Of Kaup Beach, there are small, rocky shallow islands and mangroves that the turtle could Sharath, B.K. 2006. Status of sea turtles along the have inhabited until it was tangled in the ghost gillnet. Karnataka coast, India. In: Marine Turtles of the Indian On 20th January 2015, the fshermen of Muloor released Subcontinent (eds. Shanker, K & B.C. Choudhury). Pp 141-146. three olive ridley turtles similarly trapped in a gillnet. Universities Press, Mumbai, India.
Literature cited:
Andrews, S.K & P. Biswas. 2006. Distribution and status of marine turtles in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In: Marine
5 Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 24
LESSER KNOWN NATURAL THREATS TO PROTECTED OLIVE RIDLEY NESTS IN COASTAL MAHARASHTRA
ABHINAY KELASKAR1,2, MOHAN UPADHYAY1,2 & SUMEDHA KORGAONKAR3#
1Mangrove Cell, Forest Department, Maharashtra, India
2Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India
3Department of Biodiversity, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Sea turtles are a signifcant component of the diverse life and a detailed study of its impact on leatherback sea forms found along the 720km coastline of Maharashtra, turtle nests (see Conrad et al., 2011). Olive ridley turtles India. Hawksbill, green turtle, leatherback and olive are known to nest near sand dune vegetation (Pandav ridley turtles are reported from fve coastal districts of et al., 1994; Subramanean, 2005; Islam et al., 2011) so I. Maharashtra (Giri & Chaturvedi, 2003). Of these, only pes-caprae is mechanically cleared from the interior and the olive ridley has been observed nesting, mainly on at least 20 feet surrounding hatcheries along the coast of the sandy beaches of the Raigad, Ratnagiri and Mal van Maharashtra prior to each nesting season. In March 2013, districts of Maharashtra, where the beaches are sparsely the invasive roots of I. pes-caprae were observed invading populated and fshing activity is low (Giri et al., 2006; olive ridley turtle nests in hatcheries at Velas beach and Sanaye & Pawar, 2009; Katdare, 2012). Karde beach of Ratnagiri district, both penetrating and encircling the eggs. Upon examination, I. pes-caprae Since its establishment in Maharashtra in 1992, the plants adjacent to the hatchery sites demonstrated lateral environmental NGO Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra (SNM) has root growth instead of the typical vertical growth. Tere coordinated a number of marine turtle conservation was no plant growth or runners towards the hatcheries programmes, including the protection of more than 600 observed above the sand. Such atypical growth of I. nests and release of 29,234 hatchlings from 10 hatcheries pes-caprae roots and destruction of turtle nests is being throughout Raigad and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra reported for the frst time in India. T is observation between 2003 and 2011 (Katdare, 2012). Trough the points to the need for additional eforts to eradicate I. pes- monitoring eforts of SNM and surveys conducted by caprae near hatcheries by regularly monitoring the above other agencies, including the Bombay Natural Historical and below ground plant growth throughout the nesting Society (BNHS) and the Forest Department, many period and using intensive mechanical removal methods. natural and anthropogenic threats to sea turtles and their Understanding variations in plant root morphology and nests have been identifed along the Maharashtra coast growth in I. pes-caprae could also help plan improved (Giri & Chaturvedi, 2003; Giri et al., 2006; Sanaye & management practices. Pawar, 2009; Katdare, 2012). Some of the lesser known threats are worth reporting as greater awareness may be Another threat to sea turtle nests on the Maharashtra useful in improving nest management practices in India. coast are ants (species not identifed) that destroy nests and devour hatchlings. Ant-sea turtle interactions were Beach morning glory (Ipomea pes-caprae), a perennial observed for the frst time in India at Karde Beach in pan-tropical plant, is a fast growing, aggressive creeper the Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. In March 2016, no vine which spreads in areas with extreme temperature, hatchlings were produced in three of six nests protected high salinity and nutritionally defcient environments in a hatchery. During the routine post-incubation (Devall & Tien, 2005). Te roots of I. pes-caprae may inspections, ants were found to have invaded all three of penetrate one meter vertically into the sand so the plant the nests and were observed inside the eggs devouring the can remain dormant even when the surface vegetation dies almost developed hatchlings in all 312 eggs. Te presence (Devall, 1992). I. pes-caprae is important among sand dune of the ants had not been noted on the sand surface during vegetation for its beach stabilisation potential. Around day. Tis threat has not been reported from other beaches the world there are reports of I. pes-caprae destroying the in India, but has been observed and studied in Florida nests of freshwater, estuarine and marine turtle species and other places in USA and El Salvador, Central America
6 July 2016
(Allen et al., 2001; Wetterer & Lombard, 2010; Wetterer Giri, V. & N. Chaturvedi. 2003. Status of marine turtles in et al., 2016). Some species of ants, including Solenopsis Maharashtra, India. Kachhapa 3: 3-5 geminate and S. invicta, are known to have a negative impact on turtle nests and hatchlings (Allen et al., 2001; Giri, V. & N. Chaturvedi. 2006. Sea turtles of Maharashtra and Goa. In: Marine Turtles of the Indian Subcontinent (eds. Wetterer et al., 2016). Further studies are needed at Karde Shanker, K. & B. C. Choudhury). Pp 147–155. Universities Beach to identify the ant species, determine their ecology, Press, Mumbai, India. and describe their invading behaviour (Hofmann et al., 2016). Constructing the turtle hatchery away from dune Giri, V.B., V. Katdare, D. Fernandes & A. Rahmani. 2006. Te vegetation (Wetterer et al., 2016) and closely monitoring status of sea turtles on the Maharashtra and Goa coasts. In: the constructed hatchery for signs of ant activity during Towards an Integrated and Collaborative Sea Turtle Conservation the night are recommended immediate conservation Programme in India: A UNEP/CMS-IOSEA Project Report practices; applying a known fast degrading, low toxic (to (eds. K. Shanker and H.V. Andrews). Pp 45-57. Centre for vertebrates) formicide with an active ingredient such as Herpetology, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Tamil Nadu, India. Hydramethylnon (Plentovich et al., 2010; Wetterer et al., Hofmann, D.B., G.M. Luque, C. Bellard, N.D. Holmes & 2016) can be considered afer thorough assessment of the C.J. Donlan. 2016. Improving invasive ant eradication as a risks. conservation tool: A review. Biological Conservation 197: 37-49.
Natural threats such as ants and I. pes-caprae may not Islam, Z.M., F. Ehsan & M.M. Rahman. 2011. Nesting sea turtles afect a stable population of turtles adversely, but nest at Sonadia Island, Bangladesh. Marine Turtle Newsletter 130: 19- and hatchling loss may afect the overall size and viability 22. of a small population of solitary nesting olive ridley turtles. Since 2006, the number of turtle nests on Karde Katdare, B. 2008. Five years of marine turtle conservation in Maharashtra, India (2002 - 2007). Indian Ocean Turtle beach of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra has been Newsletter 7: 25-26. slowly increasing (Katdare, 2008; www.snmcpn.org). On average, 4 to 6 nests are found on Karde beach each Katdare, B. 2012. An update on olive ridley nesting along the year, suggesting that it could be the most promising site west coast of Maharashtra, India, in 2011- 2012. Indian Ocean for turtle nesting on the Maharashtra coast. However, Turtle Newsletter 15: 3-4. the less obvious natural threats on this beach may add to the already known anthropogenic and natural threats, Pandav, B., B.C. Choudhary & C.S. Kar. 1994. A status survey thus further reducing the hatching success and overall of olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and its nesting efectiveness of sea turtle conservation initiatives in this habitats along the Orissa coast, India. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India. area. In conclusion, it is recommended that the impact of these natural threats be considered and detailed studies Plentovich, S., C. Swenson, N. Reimer, M. Richardson, N. resulting in best management practices be implemented Garon. 2010. Te efects of hydramethylnon on the tropical fre in turtle conservation programmes. ant, Solenopsis geminata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and non target arthropods on spit island, Midway Atoll, Hawaii. Journal Literature cited: of Insect Conservation 14: 459-465.
Allen, R.C., E.A. Forys, K.G. Rice, D.P. Wojcik. 2001. Efects of Subramanean, J. 2005. Nesting and adult mortality of the olive fre ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on hatching turtles and ridley sea turtle along Mammalapuram coast, Tamil Nadu, prevalence of fre ants on sea turtle nesting beaches in Florida. South India. Herpinstance 2: 5-7. Florida Entomologist 84: 250-253. Sanaye, S.V. & H.B. Pawar. 2009. Sea turtle conservation in Conrad, R.J., J. Wyneken, J.A. Garner & S. Garner. 2011. Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Indian Ocean Turtle Experimental study of dune vegetation impact and control on Newsletter 9: 3-5. leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea nests. Endangered Species Research 15: 13-27. Wetterer, K.J. & C.D. Lombard. 2010. Fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an important sea turtle nesting beach on St. Devall, M.S. 1992. Te biological fora of coastal dunes and Croix, USVI. Florida Entomologist 93: 449-450. wetlands. 2. Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) Roth. Journal of Coastal Research 8: 442-456. Wetterer, K.J., M.J. Liles, J.M. Sermeno, L.S. Cervantes, E.E. Echeverria, R.M.E. Hermandez, A. Henriquez, et al. 2016. Devall. M.S & B.L. Tien. 2005. Inland occurrence of the Predaceous fre ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at sea turtle strand plant Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae) around lake (Testudines: Cheloniidae) nesting beaches and hatcheries in El Nicaragua. Southwest Naturalist 50: 380-384. Salvador. Florida Entomologist 99: 106-109.
7 Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 24
HATCHING OF OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLE TWIN HATCHLINGS
MIRIAM P. SREERAM1#, RAJEENDRAN P.R.2, JOSHI K.K.1, MOLLY VARGHESE1, RATHEESH K.P.2, AJU K. RAJU1, SREEKUMAR K. M.1, THOBIAS P. ANTONY1, SETHULAKSHMI M.1 & DIVYA K. A.
1Marine Biodiversity Division, ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, Kerala, India
2Kanyakumari Turtle NEWS Club, Palapetty, Thrissur, Kerala, India
OBSERVATION (Dermochelys coriacea) that emerged live from the egg afer its smaller twin died prior to term. Twin A clutch of 126 olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtle embryos that did not reach the pipping stage have been eggs was laid at Palapetty Beach, Trissur District, recorded in olive ridley (Hewavisenthi, 1990), green Kerala on 15th January 2016 and relocated by members (Chelonia mydas; Fowler, 1979; Kaska & Downie, 1999; of the Kanyakumari Turtle NEWS Club to the hatchery Diong et al., 2003), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata; at Palapetty. On 02nd March 2016, afer 46 days of Junchompoo et al., 2013), leatherback (Deraniyagala, incubation, 58 hatchlings emerged from the nest unaided 1930, 1932; Hughes et al., 1967; Chan, 1985; Eckert, in the early morning. Te nest was excavated three 1990) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta; Caldwell, hours afer emergence of the frst hatchling, at which 1959; Fujiwara, 1964; Blanck & Sawyer, 1981; Limpus, time 14 more hatchlings emerged from the exposed eggs 1985, Peters et al., 1994; Piovano et al., 2011) turtles. including two pairs of twins (Table 1; for example see Figure 1) which emerged from the eggshells on their own. Te twin hatchlings found in this study were of nearly Te hatchlings were transported to a holding tank 15min equal size, but much smaller in comparison to the post-hatching. Te twin hatchlings were unable to remain other hatchlings in the clutch, perhaps the result of afoat and their movement on land was also impaired as having to share the resources available in the egg. No they remained connected by the respective yolk sacs. external developmental abnormalities were observed. Te frst pair of twin hatchlings died half an hour afer hatching, while the second pair of twins survived for Fertilisation of sea turtle eggs occurs in the oviduct, six hours. Four other hatchlings which emerged from with the deposition of albumin and formation of the exposed eggs died before being introduced to the egg shell beginning within 72 hours of ovulation. holding tank. Te surviving hatchlings were released to Over the successive seven days, the zygote undergoes sea approximately nine to thirteen hours afer hatching. discoidal meroblastic cleavage to form a gastrula by Day 9; embryonic development is suspended at middle DISCUSSION gastrulation until afer the eggs are laid (Miller, 1982). Whether the formation of twins took place by the Twinning is a rare phenomenon amongst sea turtles, inclusion of two zygotes in one eggshell in the oviduct and aberrant embryos usually die before the pipping post-fertilisation and pre-oviposition, or due to cleavage stage or even if they pip, seldom emerge (Miller, 1985). of one zygote into two within an egg post-fertilisation is Tis is the frst published report of twin sea turtle beyond the scope of this study and would require parental hatchlings being alive at pipping, although Hewavisenthi DNA investigations to ascertain. (1989) described a single hatchling leatherback turtle
Table 1. Morphometric measurements of twin olive ridley hatchlings
Straight Carapace Length (mm) Straight Carapace Width (mm) Hatchling 1 28.6 28.7 First pair of twins Hatchling 2 27.4 26.9 Hatchling 1 28.1 27.8 Second pair of twins Hatchling 2 28.9 28.1 Individual hatchlings Av. of 10 41.3 33.7
8 July 2016
Both pairs of twin hatchlings were deposited Fowler, L.E. 1979. Hatching success and nest predation in the in the National Designated Repository of the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ecology 60: 946–955. Kochi, Kerala, India and have been assigned the Fujiwara, M. 1964. Some cases of spontaneous twinning in the accession number Lepidochelys olivacea Misc.38. loggerhead turtle. Acta Herpetologica Japonica 2: 7–8.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hewavisenthi, S. 1989. Twin green turtle hatchlings in Sri Lanka. Marine Turtle Newsletter 46: 9. Te authors would like to thank Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, Director, ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Hewavisenthi, S. 1990. Abnormal hatchlings of green and olive Institute, Kochi for his support for the study, all individuals ridley turtles, Victor Hasselblad Hatchery, Sri Lanka. Marine associated with the Kanyakumari Turtle NEWS Club, Turtle Newsletter 50: 15–16. Palapetty, for their eforts towards locating the nesting Hughes, G.R., A.J. Bass & M.T. Mentis. 1967. Further studies on site and running of the Palapetty hatchery, and Te Kerala marine turtles in Tongaland II. Te Lammergeyer 7: 5-54. Forests and Wildlife Department, GoI, and Shri Ravi Panakkal of NEWS India for support and encouragement Junchompoo, C., C. Penpian & W. Tarkoolrangsi. 2013. First during the conservation activities and feld study. report of twinning in the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) from Khram Island, Chonburi Province, Tailand. Literature cited: In: Proceedings of the Design Symposium on Conservation of Ecosystem (Te 12th SEASTAR2000 workshop 2013). Pp 17-20. Blanck, C.F. & R.H. Sawyer. 1981. Hatchery practices in relation to early embryology of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta Kaska, Y. & R. Downie. 1999. Embryological development of sea (Linné). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 49: turtles (Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean. 163–177. Zoology in the Middle East 19: 55–69.
Caldwell, D.K. 1959. Te loggerhead turtles of Cape Romain, Limpus, C.J. 1985. A study of the loggerhead turtle, Caretta South Carolina. Abridged and annotated. Bulletin of the Florida caretta, in eastern Australia. Ph.D. thesis. University of State Museum 4: 319–348. Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Chan, E.H. 1985. Twin embryos in unhatched egg of Miller, J.D. 1982. Development of marine turtles. Ph.D. thesis. Dermochelys coriacea. Marine Turtle Newsletter 32: 2–3. University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
Deraniyagala, P.E.P. 1930. Te Testudinata of Ceylon. Ceylon Miller, J.D. 1985. Embryology of marine turtles. In: Biology of Journal of Science B 16: 43–88. the Reptilia: Development A. Volume 14. (eds. Gans C., F. Billet & P.F.A. Maderson). Pp 269-328. John Wiley & Sons, New York, Deraniyagala, P.E.P. 1932. Notes on the development of the USA. leathery turtle, Dermochelys coriacea. Ceylon Journal of Science B 17: 73–102. Peters, A., K.J.F. Verhoeven & H. Strijbosch. 1994. Hatching and emergence in the Turkish Mediterranean loggerhead turtle, Diong, C.H., L.K.A. Tan & C.M.U. Leh. 2003. Axial bifurcation Caretta caretta: natural causes for egg and hatchling failure. in a bicephalic Chelonia mydas embryo. Chelonian Conservation Herpetologica 50: 369–373. and Biology 4: 725–727. Piovano, S., Y. Kaska, E. Prazzi, S. Nannarelli & C. Giacoma. Eckert, K.L. 1990. Twinning in leatherback sea turtle 2011. Low incidence of twinning in the loggerhead sea turtle. (Dermochelys coriacea) embryos. Journal of Herpetology 24: Folia Zoologica 60: 159–166. 317–320.
9 Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 24
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS ON SEA TURTLES FROM THE CHENNAI COAST OF INDIA IN 2016
ARUN V1, # & ADHITH SWAMINATHAN1,2
1Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
2Dakshin Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
STRANDINGS observed making a body pit, digging a nest cavity, and camoufaging the site. Care was taken to not disturb the Tis season (January to April 2016) was marked by the turtle during the entire duration of the nesting process. stranding of juvenile turtles of sizes that are uncommon Once the turtle returned to the sea, the volunteers probed along the coast of Chennai, India. Two olive ridley, one the sand to relocate the nest to a hatchery. However, green, and one hawksbill turtle (Table 1) were observed only a well-formed nest chamber was observed with stranded between the months of February and May no eggs. Te entire camoufaged area was dug up and in the 7km stretch of beach from Neelankarai to the searched thoroughly for two hours. It was then concluded Adyar River estuary that is patrolled daily during the that it was a pseudonesting event. Tis was the frst nesting season. Tree of the four stranded turtles were observation of such a phenomenon in Chennai, although dead when found. Te olive ridley turtle found on 27 Swaminathan & John (2011) have reported similar February 2016 was barely alive and coated with a greasy behaviour in olive ridley turtles at Rushikulya, Orissa. material. Te turtle was taken to the TREE Foundation Such behaviour is not uncommon in primigravid turtles rescue centre at Neelangarai, Chennai, for treatment, (those laying their frst clutch) and may be due to limited where it later died despite eforts to resuscitate it. Te oviductal responsiveness to hormonal stimuli and/or green turtle found on 17 May 2016 was observed by one motility at the frst nesting attempt (Phillott, pers.comm.). of the authors during a casual walk on the beach afer the nesting season had ended.Tere is limited information Literature cited: available about the juvenile life stage of olive ridley turtles as they are completely oceanic (Bolten, 2002), Bolten, A. B. 2002. Variation in sea turtle life history patterns: therefore these observations generated much interest. Neritic vs oceanic developmental stages. In: Te Biology of Sea In the last decade, there have been several reports in the Turtles, Volume II. (eds. Lutz, P.L., J.A. Musick & J. Wyneken). Pp 243-257. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. local media and anecdotal observations of juvenile olive ridley, hawksbill and green turtles being stranded and Frederick, P. 2011 (June 16th). Ridleys! Believe it or not. Te entangled in fshing nets (Nina Simon, 2010; Frederick, Hindu. Retrieved from: http://www.thehindu.com/features/ 2011; Special Correspondent, 2011; Oppili, 2015; Special metroplus/ridleys-believe-it-or-not/article2110163.ece. Correspondent, 2016). However, there are no detailed reports on the size of these turtles and, therefore, the Oppili, P. 2015 (August 23rd). Entangled green turtle rescued, term juvenile could have been inappropriately applied. released in to sea of Chennai coast. Te Times of India. Retrieved from: http://timesofndia.com/city/chennai/ Pseudonesting Entangled-green-turtle-rescued-released-in-to-sea-off- Chennai-coast/articleshow/48642413.cms. During an organized public walk on 26 March 2016,
an olive ridley turtle (CCL- 63cm, CCW- 62cm) was Table 1. Details of the four stranded juvenile turtles found on the Chennai coast Jan-May 2016 Curved Carapace Curved Carapace Turtle Date Comments Length (cm) Width (cm) Hawksbill 26 24 18th Jan 2016 Found dead Olive ridley 18 17 15th Feb 2016 Found dead Olive ridley 17 16 27th Feb 2016 Found alive Green 36 35 17th May 2016 Found dead
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Simon, N. 2010 (September 1). Greenie goes home. Te Hindu. chennai/Two-Stranded-Green-Turtles-Rehabilitated-Released- Retrieved from: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/ into-Sea/2016/04/24/article3397245.ece. nxg/greenie-goes-home/article607237.ece. Swaminathan, A. & S. John. 2011. Pseudonesting behaviour by Special Correspondent. 2011 (March 11). Sea turtles rescued. the olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, Te Hindu. Retrieved from: http://www.thehindu.com/ 1829) during mass nesting at Rushikulya, Orissa, India. todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/sea-turtles-rescued/ Herpetology Notes 4: 225-227. article1528211.ece.
Special Correspondent. 2016 (April 24). Two stranded green turtles rehabilitated, released into sea. Te New Indian Express. Retrieved from: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/
SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION AND ALLIED ACTIVITIES WITH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AT VELAS, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
PRIYANKA R. PAWAR
Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, Wanwadi, Pune, Maharashtra, India
INTRODUCTION villagers joined the initiative in 2006 which led to the formation of Kasav Mitra Mandal (KMM), a local club Velas (17.9588°N, 73.0361°E) is a tiny hamlet in the of individuals supporting the conservation in Velas. At Mandangad taluka, Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra, present, the local governing body i.e. the Grampanchayat India. Velas has an isolated 3km stretch of coast-line along with KMM the Forest Department, Joint Forest dotted by Casuarina trees facing the Arabian Sea. A small Management Committee (JFM) and Biodiversity stream passes through the village to the beach surrounded Management Committee (BMC) work together for by dense mangroves which food in the rainy season. the conservation programme “Te Turtle Festival”.
Te secluded, wide beach with ofshore sand bars is Te members of KMM provide homestay arrangements suitable for olive ridley turtle nesting. Te sea turtle for visitors to the Turtle Festival. Nineteen families breeding and nesting season in Maharashtra lasts initially extended their traditional hospitality wherein from November to April. In Velas, nesting usually they serve home-cooked Maharashtrian style food occurs from December to the frst week of April to the visiting tourists. However, the number has and accounts for 40% of the nesting in Maharashtra. increased to 31 in recent times and the number is expected to increase to 34 in the next year or so. SNM AND THE TURTLE FESTIVAL Members of the KMM contribute 10% of the total income to the SNM turtle conservation programme. Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM), a non-governmental organization, initiated marine turtle conservation One of the major fundamental activities during the along the coast of Maharashtra with the involvement Turtle Festival is to check the local hatchery and release of the local community. Its frst onsite olive ridley emerged hatchlings into the sea. Te volunteers of conservation eforts were carried out in 2002 at KMM check for hatchlings at 7am and 6pm and new Velas (Katdare & Mone, 2003) and now encompasses hatchlings are released for tourists to observe. Other 36 beaches and 12 villages of Ratnagiri district. activities KMM hosts during the festival are visits to a variety of birdwatching sites in and around Velas Te Turtle Festival was frst organised by SNM in via a bullock cart safari. Tey also project a screening 2006 and has occurred every year since then. Local on turtle conservation during the festival followed
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by an interactive session with Mr Mohan Upadhye. (Katdare & Mone, 2003) is established at Velas, and all the nests laid on its 3km beach are collected and placed in hand- Te members who actively participate in the Turtle dug egg chambers to protect them from tidal erosion and Festival include self-help groups that sell home- predators. A galvanised iron mesh fxed to wooden poles made products, Mahila Bachat Gats, local villagers fencing surrounds the hatchery to prevent depredation of and volunteers, all of which are a part of KMM. Te nests. Wooden batons are numbered to identify individual Turtle Festival lasts from January to April in which nests, which are covered with a wicker basket and a the frst three months are considered to be the peak piece of jute to reduce predation of hatchlings by birds. season for egg hatching. Te Turtle Festival has a positive impact on the local community as it facilitates In the 2002/03 nesting season when the conservation new source of income for the local community. programme began at Velas, SNM relocated the 50 olive ridley turtle nests laid on the beach to the hatchery (Figure Te Turtle Festival is a purely a conservation efort by 1). Te number of nests has fuctuated since, with a low of the local community. Te primary goal of the efort is 8 in 2014/15. As female olive ridley turtles reach maturity to protect the olive ridley eggs from predation and other at about 13 years ranging from 10 to 18 years (Zug et al, natural threats to their survival. Te Turtle Festival also 2006), SNM hopes that nesting numbers will soon refect focuses on the active participation of the local community the conservation efort of the past years. Te trend of and visiting tourists in conservation of sea turtles and number of eggs produced (Figure 2) follows that of number to increase the livelihood sources of local villagers of nests laid. Emergence success also fuctuates over time, with a high of 64% in 2015/16 and low of 30% in 2006/07. EX-SITU TURTLE CONSERVATION METHOD PRACTISED AT VELAS BEACH RULES AND RESTRICTIONS PRACTISED AT VELAS SNM volunteers patrol the beach throughout day and night during the nesting season to locate newly laid nests Restricted facilities for tourists: To promote the and supervise nests in the hatchery. A hatchery of 8m x 3m conservation of sea turtles, the use of tents, umbrellas,
Figure 1. Number of olive ridley turtle nests from 2002-2016 at Velas Beach. (Source: SNM)
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Figure 2. Eggs incubated and hatchlings released from hatcheries at Velas Beach 2002-2016. Note: 2005/06 data is not available. (Source: SNM and Forest Department). canopies, beach chairs, sun beds at the beach is for fnding a route to the sea; they orient using the restricted as such structures can stop female turtle from brightness of open seaward horizon and the illumination reaching suitable nesting location and/or efect the appearing from the refection of stars and the moonlight nest temperature due to shading (Shenoy et al., 2011). on water. Artifcial lighting on the beach and adjacent Tere are no accommodation facilities on the beach. habitat create results in poor orientation and the same can happen to adult female sea turtles as they try to Also, the local governing body (Gram Panchayat) return back to the sea afer nesting. Disoriented turtles has recently prohibited the use and sale of thermocol still on land during the day may die by dehydration, plates and cups and is planning to ban the use of all predators, exhaustion and other such similar factors plastic materials on the beach in the upcoming year. (Shenoy et al., 2011). Tus, it is imperative to bar any sort of artifcial lighting on the beach in order to facilitate Informal fshing ban: Before the conservation programme an efcient conservation programme. Keeping this in was in action, local fshermen used to fsh during the mind, SNM jointly with the Forest Department and nesting season,with purse seine, trawl, gill and cast nets Gram Panchayat of Velas has taken crucial steps to make in addition to hook and line gear. Turtles were entangled, sure that no artifcial lighting is installed on the entire drowned, bruised, killed or maimed afer interactions beach and on the approach road as well. A ‘No coastal with such gear and this was duly noted by SNM, resulting illumination, water or sand sports’ resolution was passed in an informal ban on fshing during the nesting season. in 2012-13 to help create an undisturbed habitat for the Te fshermen are provided with an alternative location incubation of turtle nests and hatching of baby turtles. (Harnai) to fsh at a distance from the nesting beach. No water sports: Te boats used for water sports No coastal illumination: Artifcial light poses a threat are mainly propeller driven and may injure turtles to the turtles which rely solely on their visual stimuli who visit the beach for nesting purposes. Te loud
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noise of the propeller under the sea may deter the sea turtle nests, but the trees also provide shelter to turtles from arriving at the beach. Hence, no water animals like jackals and hyenas which feed on sea sports are allowed during the turtle nesting season. turtle eggs. Mohanty (2002) reported that formation of sand dunes is greatly hindered due to Casuarina No sand sports allowed: Sports like sand biking, plantations, which ultimately leads to coastal erosion paragliding, and beach volleyball causes sand to become and in some cases total elimination of dunes (e.g. Orissa compacted which causes difculty for the sea turtles coast). Awale and Phillott (2014) also give valuable when nesting. Sea turtles lay their eggs at an optimal insights on the devastating efects of Casuarina spp. depth by digging a nest with their hind limbs, so hard on factors including beach ecology, nesting habitat, sand requires more efort to dig which may result in and nest temperature leading to changes in the sex reduced depth of excavation and sub-optimal incubation ratio of hatchling sea turtles. Tey suggest beaches conditions. Sand sports may also uproots and-binding be vegetated with native plant species such as neem, plants and result in sand erosion, and so are banned. coconut, banyan, fg, jamun, bakul, peepal etc. instead of tropical plant species like Casuarina spp. Although the conservation programme is at its peak and every possible efort is taken to conserve and save as many 5. Fishing and other vessels: A resolution of the turtles as possible, last year there were a total of eight fshing ban should be passed in order to prevent turtles found dead due to a variety of reasons which could entanglement of female sea turtles in fshing nets be avoided if the following recommendations are adopted. during the breeding and nesting season, and the use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) should be strictly Recommendations: monitored and regulated. Barges from coal-based mining activities should follow routes that do not 1. Tag sea turtles: Permanently marking individuals disturb nesting females coming to the shore. with fipper tags will give useful insight into the biology of sea turtles nesting at Velas, including ACKNOWLEDGMENTS reproductive biology, growth, population size, and migration. In conjunction with more extensive feld I express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the surveys, data to determine the number of clutches President of SNM Mr Bhau Katdare for providing insight and expertise that greatly assisted this article. I’d like to per season and the estimated number of nesting thank Mr Mohan Upadhye for his invaluable contribution females per season could more easily be collected to this article. I thank, Mr Yogiraj Rathod, for data and fact providing. I’m also indebted to Dr Sujit Sundaram 2. Carry out feld survey seasonally on nesting for his excellent guidance and help in numerous ways. I beach habitat: Field survey on nesting beach gratefully acknowledge Dr Pradnya Sawant for ofering habitat could help us understand the factors that constructive suggestions, comments and sound advice. afect turtle nesting success, nest hatching success Finally, I must thank, Swapnil Tandel, Bala Mhadgut, and hatchling emergence success and also enable Dhanashree Bagade and my brother Piyush Pawar for their specifc recommendations to safeguard olive ridley invaluable advice, help and continuous encouragement. turtles and their habitat (Anonymous, 1997). Literature cited:
3. Monitor hatchling sex ratio: Tere are no previous Anonymous. 1997. Survey on ongoing depletion of olive ridley records of hatchling sex ratios at this location hence turtle rookery in Rushikulya mouth in Ganjam district, Orissa. it is highly recommended to do so. Calculating Cuttack, Orissa, India: Project Swarajya. hatchling sex ratios can help determine potential Awale, D. & A.D. Phillott. 2014. A review of the adverse efects dynamics in reproductive ecology and reasons of of Casuarina spp. on coastal ecosystems and sea turtle nesting fuctuating numbers of nesting females (Wibbels, beaches, Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 19: 15-19. 2003) as well as provide a baseline against which to compare the outcomes of management techniques Godfrey, M. & N. Mrosovsky. 1999. Estimating hatchling (e.g. hatcheries) which may infuence sea turtle sex ratio. In: Research and Management Techniques for the populations (Godfrey & Mrosovsky, 1999). Conservation of Sea Turtles. (eds. Eckert, K.L., K.A. Bjorndal, F.A. Abreu-Grobois & M. Donnelly). Pp. 136-139. IUCN/SSC 4. Replace Casuarina trees: Pandav et al. (2006) found Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication No. 4. Washington, DC, USA. that Casuarina tree plantations are responsible for changes in the beach terrain with their permeated Katdare, V. & R. Mone. 2003. Turtle conservation in Konkan, roots and litter which may impact the success of Maharashtra. Kachhapa 9: 7-8.
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Mithawala, R. 2016. Turtle village to become biodiversity conservation. Dakshin Foundation, Bangalore and Madras heritage site. Te Times of India. City, 10 July 2016, timesofndia. Crocodile Bank Trust, Mamallapuram, India. 148 pages. indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Turtle-village-to-become- biodiversity-heritage-site/articleshow/53133711.cms. Wibbels, T. 2003. Critical approaches to sex determination in sea turtles. In: Te Biology of Sea Turtles Vol. II. (eds. Lutz P.L., Mohanty, B. 2002. Casuarina forests ruin turtle nesting beaches J.A. Musick & J. Wyneken). Pp. 103-133. CRC Press, Boca Raton in Orissa. Kachhapa 7: 20-21. FL, USA.
Pandav, B., B.C. Choudhury & C.S. Kar. 2006. Sea turtle nesting Zug, G.R., M. Chaloupka & G.H. Balazs. 2006. Age and growth habitats on the coast of Orissa. In: Marine Turtles of the Indian in olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) from the north- Subcontinent. (eds. Shanker, K. & B.C. Choudhury). Pp. 88–106. central Pacifc: A skeletochronological analysis. Marine Ecology Universities Press, Hyderabad, India. 26: 1-8.
Shenoy, S., T. Berlie and K. Shanker. 2011. Sea turtles of India. A comprehensive feld guide to research, monitoring and
DIARY OF THE SSTCN CHENNAI TURTLE SEASON JANUARY – APRIL 2016
V.ARUN
Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
INTRODUCTION In our northern stretch of beach extending from Adyar River Creek to the Cooum River, popularly referred as As the Student Sea Turtle Conservation Network the Marina Beach, we found around 110 nests where (SSTCN) looks back at the season just gone by in we usually fnd between 150 and 180. In all, we ended Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the primary feeling is that it the season with 175 nests, 75 fewer than last year and 73 was a muted one and also shorter as it ended a couple less than 2014. All the nests were relocated, 101 into the of weeks earlier than usual. In comparison, the last few two SSTCN hatcheries and 74 to the Forest Department years had been big, both in terms of the number of nests hatchery. Te two SSTCN hatcheries are set up on either and in the number of dead turtles encountered! In one side of the Adyar estuary, one to cover Besant Nagar of our early walks this season, a fsherman told us that stretch and the other to cover the Marina beach. Te they were spotting many dead turtles in the sea and Forest Department hatchery was set up about 50 meters it would not be long before these washed ashore. We from the SSTCN hatchery on the Besant Nagar side. counted more than 300 stranded and dead turtles in the 2015 season and hoped not to experience another such Working with the Forest Department year. Fortunately, we encountered only 85 dead adult turtles this season. While it is still a big number, it was Te Forest Department and SSTCN have been co- only a third of the number of dead turtles found in the patrolling these beaches for the past two years. We tried last few years. However, we also found far fewer nests, patrolling at diferent hours of the night to maximise suggesting fewer nesting olive ridley turtles than in 2015. nest collection last year, but that resulted in confusion between the two organisations. Tis year we divided Number of nests the northern stretch into two parts and each did one stretch with the other providing back up support We have been averaging around 100 nests per season when required. Tis arrangement worked better as in our southern stretch of beach, extending from there was no confusion or overlap in terms of time. Neelangarai to the Adyar River, close to the Besant Nagar Te Forest Department hatchery was built close to beach. Tis year we found only 51 nests on this stretch. ours so that volunteers and care takers could monitor
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and care for nests relocated into both structures. March and early May and volunteers like Shravan interact with the crowds. Tey then watch hatchlings New walk timings being released on the beach and entering the sea.
Over the last twenty years we have been delaying the Te hatchery is monitored around the clock to check time of our patrols to later and later in the night. Tis for emerging hatchlings by a group of young volunteers. year we started patrols of both the northern and southern Our hatchery management has steadily improved with stretches around 3am. As Marina Beach is relatively many volunteers feeling responsible. For example, this short in length, the volunteers walked back and forth season we had an enthusiastic volunteer Gheshna Rao to cover the stretch more than once each night. Besant who could be depended on to be at the hatchery every Nagar is a longer beach, so leaving at 3am just about evening to release hatchlings, excavate nests and record gave enough time to cover the stretch and fnish by relevant data. She will be sorely missed in the coming day break, especially on nights with multiple nests. season as she has gone to Mumbai for higher studies.
Turtle walks with the public We had a low hatching success this year compared to other years, with poor hatching success in the frst few SSTCN turtle walks have become one of the star nests and later nests potentially impacted by the high attractions of Chennai. As the walks are mentioned on heat and low rain this summer. We ended the season with Trip Advisor there is always interest throughout the 8,907 hatchlings (8,741 from nests in the hatchery and year. During the turtle nesting season, we struggle to 166 from nests on the beach) from 101 nests (excluding maintain the crowds to a manageable number (between 75 nests from the Forest Department hatchery) 50 and 75 people). SSTCN decided some years ago to with an overall emergence success rate of 78.9%. focus on walks for students of schools and colleges and individuals and families, but not corporate groups. Our community partners
Despite having a registration procedure through email, One of the most pleasant memories of this season people ofen join the walks without registering and at is our partnership with the Chennai Trekking Club any time. We feel that people’s sense of entitlement has (CTC). It started with a conversation with the founder increased over the years, with some turning aggressive Peter Van Giet when we told them that turtle walking when they are denied a place on the walk, and are was a very lonely activity with only two people walking looking for a way to resolve this. However, we had together on most nights. He promised help, and some very good pre-walk discussions this year, ofen Vinodh Sundar a CTC member, patiently coordinated stretching from 11.30 to 1.30 am or even 2 am before the CTC trekkers to join us almost every week night. walk commenced. For the past few years we have been briefng the groups in both Tamil and English. When Tis year the beaches of Chennai were unbelievably school groups come we brief them separately. On such flthy, with tons of garbage washed ashore afer the days we have three diferent groups being briefed; groups Chennai foods so there was virtually no place for the are divided according to age and language as some prefer turtles to nest. CTC organized clean ups, (including Tamil and some are English speakers. Attitudes, questions one as we built the hatchery) every weekend for several and interests ofen difer between these groups. Te weeks before the beaches became nesting friendly again. talks were anchored primarily by Arun V, Harish N.V. and Akila Balu. Tis year they drew a lot of inspiration The court case against the fisheries department for the talks from the book “Hope Beneath Our Feet”, edited by Martin Keogh, a compilation of environmental Last year, a judge in the Madras High Court fled a articles by practising environmentalists and ecologists. suo moto case against the Fisheries Department afer seeing a report in the Times of India about the large At the hatchery number of dead turtles that season. Stake-holders involved in sea turtle conservation, including the Similar to the public walks, the hatchery too draws Fisheries Department, Forestry Department and NGO’s, hundreds of visitors - mostly families with young were asked to prepare an SOP (Standard Operating children. Shravan Krishnan, a long term volunteer, Procedure) and implement it to ensure a reduction has ably anchored this activity for many years now. in the number of turtles drowning in fshing nets. School groups and families visit the hatchery in the Wildlife flm maker Shekar Dattatri was appointed to evenings during the turtle hatching months between independently audit the preparation and implementation
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of the SOP of the Fisheries Department and his SUMMARY report was submitted to the court in July 2016. Afer holding a stakeholders’ meeting, a compliance report Overall, we feel it was a positive season though a was submitted by the Fisheries Department to the muted one. Many new volunteers joined us. People Hon’ble High Court of Madras on 11th August 2016. are much more aware of environmental issues as refected in the deep conversations we had with them. A Government Order was passed on September 27th 2016 prohibiting mechanised boats from entering Our relationship with the fshing community members within 5 nautical miles of the shore during sea turtle too has grown over the years. Tey have respect for migrating and nesting season from January up to April. our commitment and extend support in many ways. Te GO had major defciencies: it included country Tis year saw even greater participation from the craf in the 5 nautical miles ban which will greatly fshing community members. However, we run the risk afect artisanal fshermen; it stated that the seasonal of losing this long-cultivated relationship due to the ban should be between January and April whereas it verdict in the court case due to our portrayal as the ones should actually be from November to March so as to opposing fshing in coastal waters. Tis is unfortunate, include turtle migrating months; and it omitted skate/ as we have always been supportive of traditional fshing. ray nets which cause high turtle mortality, from the Currently we are waiting for a revision of the order ban. Requests were made by SSTCN and members of which will allow small scale traditional fshermen to Dakshin as well as Tree Foundation to make corrections continue fshing in near-shore waters, as it is difcult to in the GO. It is hoped that these changes will be efected. imagine turtle conservation without their participation.
Turtle conservationists have also taken the discussion to We are also excited by the upcoming Cetacean study the public by writing in newspapers both in English and where we are planning to collect data and tissue samples of Tamil. stranded marine mammals. Tis study is being done under the guidance of Dipani Sutaria and Rahul Muralidharan.
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REPORTS
PRESIDENT’S REPORT ON 36TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON SEA TURTLE BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, 29TH FEBRUARY TO 4TH MARCH 2016, LIMA, PERU
JOANNA ALFARO-SHIGUETO
President, International Sea Turtle Society
Te 36th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and early to the symposium. Tree meetings were also held: Conservation was held in the City of Lima, Peru from Caribbean Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation February 29 to March 4, 2016. Tis year the Symposium’s Network (WIDECAST), Freshwater Turtle and Tortoise theme was Crossroads, highlighting the need for multi- and IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG). disciplinary, multi-taxa, multi-national, and multi- gender eforts in advancing marine conservation Key Note Speakers: Two Key Note speakers worldwide. Tis meeting aimed to break down barriers delivered 20 minutes addresses. Colin J. Limpus and boundaries between people and countries in order from Australia gave a comprehensive introduction to achieve marine conservation through its most global of ‘Marine Turtles at the Crossroads: Complex Life fagship, the sea turtle. Te structure of the symposium Histories Requiring Local, National and International was similar to past symposia, with pre-symposium Action for their Conservation’. Brendan J. Godley workshops and regional meetings, plus 3 days of immediately followed, speaking to the audience about symposium meetings. Overall the meeting was a success his 10 tips on being a successful sea turtle researcher. from basically every perspective; details are ofered below. A total of 685 people from 52 countries registered Symposium Sessions: Tis symposium included for the Symposium. Te venue for the symposium traditional sessions held at previous symposia, was the Maria Angola Convention Center in such as Anatomy, Physiology and Health; In-Water the city of Lima. A total of 155 oral papers and Biology (Ecology, Telemetry, Foraging, Behavior); 305 posters were presented at the symposium. Nesting Biology (Ecology, Behavior, and Reproductive Success); Population Biology and Monitoring (Status, Pre-symposium Workshops & Regional Meetings: Modeling, Demography, Genetics, Nesting Trends, In- Workshops and meetings were scheduled during Water Trends); Fisheries and Treats; Conservation, the two days prior to the symposium main Management and Policy; Education, Outreach And days. Te opening was presented by Sonia Valle Advocacy; and Social, Economic and Cultural Studies. Rubio, representative from Cientifca del Sur University, Larry B. Crowder and Joanna Alfaro. Tere were four special sessions. Te session Emerging Treats-Climate Change, Oil Spill and Plastic Pollution A total of 12 workshops were held. Tese were: In-water had oral presentations on innovative methodologies, capture techniques, GIS Training, Marine mammals, and new conservation issues such as plastic debris, Elasmobranchs, Ghost Fisheries, Survey training, sea level rise and oil spills. Te second special session Temperature-dependent Sex Determination (TSD), Photo- was “Turtles in Time” where studies of turtles using Identifcation techniques, Turtle Medicine, Leatherback historical archives was presented and discussed, Turtles of the Southeast Pacifc, Environmental and Eastern Pacifc Sea Turtles sessions focused in education and Bycatch of Sea turtles in the East Pacifc. regional aspects in turtle biology and conservation. A total of fve Regional meetings were held. Tese were: RETOMALA (Latin American), Africa, Mediterranean, Poster presenters had the opportunity to East Asia, and Indian Ocean South East Asia. Tese answer questions and give more details on meetings were successful and contributed to bring attendees their presentations during “Meet the Authors”.
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Social Events: Te socializing component of the Riskas (Conservation) won in the oral category. symposium was conformed by the Welcome Social, Live and Silent Auctions, Video Night (23 videos Resolutions: A very important component of every were projected to symposium attendees as wells as the symposium is the issuing of Resolutions, documents general public), Student events, Student Awards and that allow the Society at large to pronounce itself with Farewell party. Among those events, a Speed Chatting regard to issues pertaining to sea turtle conservation with Experts event was held the night of the frst day around the world. During the ISTS 36, there were of the meeting, with the following lineup: Joanna no resolutions submitted nor discussed in Lima. Alfaro Shigueto, Bryan Wallace, Emma Harrison, Colum Muccio, Zoe Meletis, and Andrea Phillott. Board meeting: Te Board meeting held during the Lima symposium was fruitful and lasted until Te Student Committee conducted two activities. One was midnight of the frst day of the symposium. Te Board a workshop to discuss methods to raise funds for research received and discussed reports from the Nominations using social media. Te second activity was a Social Mixer, Committee, Student Committee, Travel Committee, letting students meet other students as well as scientists Students Awards Committee, Awards Committee, as and researchers exposing their latest investigations. well as reports from the Program Ofcer and Treasurer.
Of all these events, the Live Auction and the Business Meeting: Very important issues were Farewell party were probably the most popular. addressed during the plenary business meeting, Travel committee chair and the Treasurer presented Travel grants: More than 200 registrants received a their reports and the attendees approved. Also, travel grant, 8 from Africa, 34 from US/Canada, 10 from it was announced the new President-elect for Caribbean, 1 from South Asia, 6 from Asia Pacifc, 3 from symposium 2018: Yoshimasa Matsuzawa from Japan. Middle East, 95 from South America, 18 from Europe, 38 from Mexico/Central America, others. Tis level of Frank Paladino, future President 2017, unveiled the travel grant awards represents about 29% of the total venue where the next symposium will be held, and registered participants. Travel grants took the form of gave details on this. We will get together again in JW cash and room grants, for a total of about 200 persons, Marriot hotel & Spa in Las Vegas from 15-23 April 2017. which was highly advantageous for the awardees. Society Elections: Afer the voting process ended Auctions: We were able to collect $25,000 through in Lima, the Society will be led by President: Frank the live and silent auctions, breaking records set from Paladino, President-elect: Yoshimasa Matsuzawa, previous symposia. Tis money will be used to help Past President: Joanna Alfaro Shigueto, Secretary: students to attend future meetings via travel grants. Manjula Tiwari, and Treasurer: Terry Meyer.
ISTS Awards: During the symposium a series of awards Te new Board of Directors is comprised of Roldan were made to prominent members of our sea turtle Valverde (2017), Alejandro Fallabrino (2017), society. Earl Possardt, Jeanne Mortimer and Dave George Balazs (2017), Yakup Kaska (2018), Emma Owens were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award Harrison (2018), Pam Plotkin (2018), Mariana for their extensive and signifcant contributions to the Fuentes (2019), ALan Rees (2019), Andrea Phillott promotion of sea turtle biology and conservation. ICAPO (2020), Laura Prosdocimi (2020), Andrews (Eastern Pacifc Hawksbill Initiative) was awarded with Agyekumhene (2021) and Jeanette Wyneken (2021). Champion’s Award. Hipolito Lima received a Champion’s Award too. President’s awards were given to Colin Limpus Te Nominations Committee added new members and to the Peruvian organization “Asociacion Amigos Kartik Shanker, Connie Ka-Yan Ng and Kate Mansfeld. de la Naturaleza”, a group of fshermen working with conservation. Debbie Sobel received the Ed Drane Award Finances: Generous funding by many entities made it for Volunteerism. Congratulations to all the awardees. possible for the ISTS36 to be success. Te organizing committee deeply thanks the donors below for their Archie Carr Student Awards: Four students won generosity. At the Platinum level ($25,000 and above): the Archie Carr award for outstanding presentations US Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife. At the Gold at the symposium. Boris Tezak (Biology) and level ($5,000 - $19,999): Universidad Cientifca del Callie Veelenturf (Conservation) won in the poster Sur, US Embassy in Peru, Whitley Fund for Nature, category. Karen Panlaew (Biology) and Kimberly Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Te Shared Earth
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Foundation, CONCYTEC and Ciencia Activa (Peruvian work of a large number of volunteers. To them, my government science funding). At Silver level ($1,000 - personal thanks. Te symposium would not have been $4,999): Ministry of Environment from Peru, Comision possible without the help and support from funders Permanente del Pacifco Sudeste, Sea Turtle Conservancy, mentioned above. All session chairs are also thanked for WWF, Sirtrack and Lotek, Pew Charitable Trust, their help and interest. However, among all the people Wildlife Conservation Network, Wildlife Computers, that contributed one way or another to the success of Sociedad Nacional de Pesqueria, Darwin Initiative, the symposium, I would like to recognize the following and International Seafood Sustainability Foundation individuals: the symposium Registrars Eliana Alfaro and Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment. Cordova, Clara Ortiz, Elizabeth Campbell and Andrea Bronze level ($500 - $999): Te Leatherback Trust. Pasara who handled all registrations issues with utmost efciency and dedication; and Program Chairs Natalie Carbon Ofsets: A meeting the size of the ISTS E. Wildermann, Mariela Pajuelo and Kelly Stewart, Symposium represents a considerable use of who did a very professional and superb job ensuring resources, primarily for travel, but also for onsite the soundness of the program and the entire abstract lodging and activities. Donations from the web site selection process. To Ximena Velez-Zuazo, Nina raised 250 USD for Amazon rainforest conservation Pardo, Nelly de Paz, Shaleyla Kelez, Nicolas Acuna, with the local NGO Conservamos por Naturaleza. Francisco Cordova, Adriana Gonzalez, Javier Coasaca, Kerstin Forsberg, Flor Gomez and Luciana Klinge Acknowledgments: Organizing the Lima symposium who helped me in poster organization, fundraising took a signifcant number of hours and efort. Te and various tasks before and during the symposium. successful organization strongly beneft from the selfess To the seven of them, my deep and personal thanks.
REPORT ON THE WORKSHOP ‘ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF SEA TURTLES IN THE PERSIAN GULF’, 13 MAY 2016, QESHM ISLAND, IRAN
MOHSEN REZAIE-ATAGHOLIPOUR1#, NICOLAS PILCHER2, SEYYED MOHAMMAD DAKHTEH1, MOHAMMAD GHAVASI1
1Environmental Management Ofce, Qeshm Free Area Organization, Qeshm Island, Iran.
2Marine Research Foundation, Sabah, Malaysia
INTRODUCTION loggerhead and olive ridley turtles have been recorded from coastal waters of Qeshm Island, although in very low Qeshm Island (about 1490km2) is the largest island numbers (Dakhteh, 2014; Tollab et al., 2015). Hawksbill in the Persian Gulf. Situated in the east of the turtles nest along the beach of Shibderaz village on the Gulf, it is bordered by various coastal habitats. Its southern coast of Qeshm Island, and the island’s coastal northern coast is a sheltered area, comprising Hara waters are known as foraging grounds for green turtles. Biosphere Reserve (the largest mangrove stand in the northwestern Indian Ocean; an area of about Qeshm Environmental Management Ofce (QEMO), 100,000ha) and some smaller mud fats and mangrove founded in 2000 as a subsection of Qeshm Free Area swamps, whereas the southern coast is an exposed area, Organisation, has run fve turtle conservation and comprising many sandy-rocky shores and some of the research projects over the last decade. Tese projects healthiest coral reefs of the Gulf (Darehshouri, 2009). have been carried out with signifcant contributions from Iranian UNDP/GEF/SGP and some environmental Five of seven sea turtle species have been previously recorded NGOs. During the frst half of May 2016, Dr. Nicolas in the Persian Gulf (Gasperetti et al., 1993). Leatherback, Pilcher (Executive Director of Marine Research
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Table 1. Conservation and research priorities for sea turtles in Persian Gulf suggested by participants at the workshop on ‘Ecology and Conservation of Sea Turtles in the Persian Gulf’ Category Priority Put excluder devices on nets to reduce mortality of dolphins and turtles; needs support from Iranian (Governmental) Fisheries Organization.
Use results from turtle excluder device (TED) bycatch studies to continue implementation.
Organize awareness programs with fishers to increase understanding about the importance of turtles and how to release turtles from nets safely.
Remove unused and/or old nets from beaches.
Increase awareness about not dumping nets at sea.
Investigate potential exchange program or incentive to replace old broken nets (that would otherwise be dumped at sea) with new nets; maybe the government could provide an incentive to make this happen. Conservation Provide incentives to fishers returning old nets to land.
Develop a special regularly published magazine for environment agencies to learn more about the issues relating to marine endangered species.
Work with media to report on issues related to endangered marine species in the marine realm; can help raise public awareness.
Organize a vessel to collect rubbish from at sea fishing boats.
Develop environmentally-friendly employment for local communities.
Assist local communities to improve living conditions so that they will be keener to work with conservation programs.
Work closely with artisanal fishing communities to learn their understanding and approaches to conservation.
Assess levels of bycatch. Research Conduct a study to determine fisher interest in participating in conservation activities.
Conduct a study to monitor seagrass beds through Iranian coastal waters of the Gulf.
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Foundation, Sabah, Malaysia) came to the Qeshm biology could help managers to design conservation Island to lead QEMO team in a project on green turtle programs. For example, he described sea turtle vision population structure in the island’s coastal waters. To and then explained that urban lights would not be a coincide with this event, QEMO hosted a workshop threat for nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings if on “Ecology and Conservation of Sea Turtles in the urban planners used low pressure sodium lights instead Persian Gulf”, which was attended by approximately of high pressure lights, or shielded lights, or limited 75 participants from across Iran representing the sky glow in coastal areas. Afer a short break, he gave a National Government, QEMO, academia, and NGOs. presentation on the conservation status of sea turtles in Tis report describes the workshop and its outputs. the Persian Gulf. In the second section, Dr. Pilcher talked about sex ratios and turtle population structure (see WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS Pilcher et al., 2015), migration patterns of post-nesting hawksbill turtles, and important turtle areas (ITAs) Tere were 64 registered participants at the workshop in the Persian Gulf (see Pilcher et al., 2014a; 2014b). on May 13, 2016, and an additional 10 people who attended the workshop but did not register. Registered Session 3 (presentations by Iranian researchers) participants included governmental and non- In this session, Asghar Mobaraki, general director for governmental managers (27%), environmental employees natural history museum and genetic resources bureau (27%), Master students (19%), PhD students (14%), of IDOE, gave a presentation on general biology of sea undergraduate students (8%) and university faculty (6%). turtles and specifc records of turtles in Iranian coastal waters of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Ten, Dr. WORKSHOP SESSIONS Majid Askari, assistant professor of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, gave a presentation on his Session 1 (Keynotes) Tis session comprised project on nesting hawksbill turtles in Iranian Marine four keynotes. At the beginning, Mohsen Rezaie- Protected Areas of the Persian Gulf, which had been Atagholipour, the executive secretary of the workshop carried out in 2015. Finally, Dr. Fereidoon Owf, from and QEMO marine biologist, welcomed the participants Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFRO), and introduced the workshop schedule. Ten, Bijan gave a presentation on interaction between sea turtles Dareshoori, founder and retired general director of and industrial trawlers in the Iranian Gulf of Oman. QEMO, gave a keynote on turtle conservation programs on Qeshm Island. He described the situation more than Session 4 (Discussion and brainstorming) In the 15 years ago, when hawksbill nests were poached by beginning of this session, Dr. Pilcher explained to local peoples on the beaches of Shibderaz village. But, the participants that “any idea could be a good idea”. afer three conservation and educational programs, Ten all participants brainstormed about research and local peoples were fnally convinced that protecting conservation priorities for sea turtles in the Persian nests and developing environmental friendly jobs such Gulf. In this section, people discussed about diferent as eco-tourism activities would be more benefcial topics regarding sea turtles research and conservation rather than poaching and selling turtle eggs. Te third priorities. All suggestions for actions were compiled key speaker in the session was Laleh Daraie, UNDP/ and tabulated during the session (Table 1). In total, 16 GEF/SGP coordinator in Iran, who presented a movie ideas for conservation and research strategies were of the SGP cluster programs in Qeshm Island during proposed by participants, of which 12 (75%) were the last decade and gave a presentation on how QEMO about conservation priorities and four (25%) concerned in cooperation with GEF/SGP could achieve their research priorities (Table 1). Terefore, it was evident goals, specifcally through three hawksbill conservation that people in the workshop mostly thought about programs at Shibderaz beach. Te fourth and last conservation solutions rather than research programs. key speaker in session one was Davood Mirshekar, general director for the ofce of marine ecosystems Literature cited: in Iranian Department of Environment (IDOE), who gave a presentation on hawksbill turtles nesting along Dakhteh, S.M.H. 2014. Comprehensive study of marine turtles Iranian islands and mainland in the Persian Gulf. in coastal waters of Iranian islands at the Strait of Hormoz. MSc Tesis. University of Hormozgan, Bandar-Abbas, Iran.
Session 2 (lectures) Tis session was divided into two Darehshouri, B. 2009. Te Nature of Qeshm. Agah Publishing sections, both led by Dr. Nicolas Pilcher. For the frst House, Tehran, Iran. section, he gave a presentation on general biology of sea turtles and talked about how understanding turtle Gasperetti, J., F. Astimson, J.D. Miller, J.P. Ross & P.R. Gasperetti.
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1993. Turtles of Arabia Vol 13. In: Fauna of Saudi Arabia (eds. Ecology 460: 89-99. Büttiker W., F. Krupp, I. Nader & W. Schneider). Pp 170- 367. National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Pilcher, N.J., L. Perry, M. Antonopoulou, M.A. Abdel-Moati, Development, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, and Pro Entomolgia, T. Z. Al Abdessalaam, M. Albeldawi, M. Al Ansi, S. F. Al- Natural History Museum, Basle, Switzerland. Mohannadi, R. Baldwin, A. Chikhi, H. S. Das, S. Hamza, O. J. Kerr, A. Al Kiyumi, A. Mobaraki, H. S. Al Suwaidi, A. S. Al Pilcher, N.J., I. Al-Maslamani, J. Williams, R. Gasang & A. Suweidi, M. Sawaf, C. Tourenq, J. Williams & A. Willson. 2014b. Chikhi. 2015. Population structure of marine turtles in coastal Short-term behavioural responses to thermal stress by hawksbill waters of Qatar. Endangered Species Research 28: 163-174. turtles in the Arabian region. Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 457: 190-198. Pilcher, N.J., M. Antonopoulou, L. Perry, M.A. Abdel-Moati, T.Z. Al Abdessalaam, M. Albeldawi, M. Al Ansi, S. F. Al-Mohannadi, Tollab, M.A., M.H. Dakhteh, G.G. Zaferani, M.A. Hesni, F. N. Al Zahlawi, R. Baldwin, A. Chikhi, H. S. Das, S. Hamza, O. Ahmadi, M.S. Langari, Z. Alavian & M. Rezaie-Atagholipour. J. Kerr, A. Al Kiyumi, A. Mobaraki, H. S. Al Suwaidi, A. S. Al 2015. Te olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, in the Persian Suweidi, M. Sawaf, C. Tourenq, J. Williams & A. Willson. 2014a. Gulf: A review of the observations, including the frst nesting of Identifcation of important turtle areas (ITAs) for hawksbill the species in the area. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 14: turtles in the Arabian Region. Experimental Marine Biology and 192-196.
RESOURCE OF INTEREST REVIEW OF: ‘FROM SOUP TO SUPERSTAR. THE STORY OF SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION ALONG THE INDIAN COAST’ BY KARTIK SHANKER ZOË A. MELETIS
University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, B.C., Traditional Territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, Canada
Title: From Soup to Superstar. The story of sea turtle Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) end up conservation along the Indian coast playing signifcant and sometimes misplaced roles in Year: 2015 conservation. Te book explores relationships between Author: Kartik Shanker the conservation of crocodiles, sea turtles, and dugongs in Publisher: Harper Litmus India. Along the same lines, it recalls relationships between ISBN: 9351772322 the conservation of charismatic species, and manoeuvring Pages: 329pp (hardcover) of charismatic politicians (e.g. Indira Gandhi, p. 76-77). Price: $24.99 USD Trough precisely referenced stories, Shanker ofers rich To order: www.amazon.com; www.amazon.com.in; descriptions of conservation on the ground, while linking www.fipkart.com these to greater themes. He reveals relationships through which particular actions, actors, media campaigns, science Tis book is a captivating compendium of sea turtle programs, and management acts are tied to larger shifs conservation that extends well beyond India’s borders. in how we understand and value sea turtles. We are called It covers “three eras of sea turtle conservation”: pre- to acknowledge the tangled webs between conservation Independence; the period between Independence and the and colonialism (past and present). For example, Shanker 1970s; and the period between the 1970s and today (p. 9). notes that India’s history of turtle meat consumption Shanker ofers meticulous accounts of seemingly every is largely owed to the British (p. 79). He also describes important turtle-related event. He harkens back to the diferent cultural and religious understandings and uses yesteryear of sea turtle conservation, but also provides of sea turtles in India—calling attention to the country’s insights into how large international organizations such heterogeneous population and its diverse geographies. We as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International learn that some communities do eat sea turtle products
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but members of other groups observe cultural taboos they are measuring, their conceptualization of success, against their consumption (e.g. some people believe them and expected implications. Rather than including an to be incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu) (p. 43). explicit stance on the use of sea turtle products, Shanker calls for careful and respectful attention to contexts and Among the most intriguing stories are those of feldwork cultures of infuence, science, and local livelihoods. under “extremely taxing conditions”, such as having to travel great distances with limited supplies, and to Tis book is not simply descriptive; Shanker ofers his work long, hard, hours, with little support or relief (p. own analysis of how turtles have moved “from soup 100). I gained a new and deepened respect for such to superstars”. He shares, for example, many stories contributions afer reading details. I also learned that of Greenpeace’s presence and actions on sea turtles in there is a “CIFT-TED” (p. 121-124)-an “adapted in India—they are a fascinating set of tales, with mixed India” TED or turtle excluder device, proposed for use outcomes. He also draws attention to organizations he in trawling, to reduce harmful impacts on sea turtles. has been involved with or otherwise worked with such as the Martine Turtle Specialist Group of the IUCN, and Te book references the work of many others to raise suggests that some cases would have best been lef in questions about common conservation practices or Indian hands. Further, he cautions that tales of extinction, discourses vs. strategies that might work better for disappearances, and species at risk are sometimes more most of the parties involved. It includes powerful hyperbole or hype, than proven facts backed up by good stories of conservation mishaps, mistakes, and failures, science. Tis complicates determining true conservation such as examples of both successful and unsuccessful needs and best courses of action, especially with respect engagement with local fshers. Shanker draws upon to local livelihoods and support for interventions. years of observation of fshing, laws, enforcement, and sea turtles in India to make some interesting statements I was dazzled by Shanker’s account of the rise of sea about their interactions. For example, on p. 143, he argues turtle conservation in India, but I also wondered about that better enforcement of fsheries laws would have intended audiences for this book… Tis volume would better protected both sea turtles and fsher livelihoods. be an excellent (if not slightly overwhelming) primer In highlighting fsheries-related conservation failures, he on: sea turtle conservation in India; greater shifs in challenges oversimplifed portrayals of fshers as being interactions with international conservation; and/or a some combination of: ignorant, uneducated, confused, ‘family tree’ of individuals, labs, organizations, and their and rebellious. Considering international infuences, legacies in understanding sea turtle populations and Shanker details various international letter writing conservation projects associated with India. It could campaigns, petitions, and pressures, ofering judgements also serve as a good complementary text for a university on which were most appropriate and/or efective. course on the social science of conservation - for readers looking to trace the evolution of conservation beliefs Tis is part of the well-argued commentary on the and practices over time, using a case study. Lastly, it evolution of the politics of sea turtle conservation in would be a great addition to professional or personal India. Shanker notes the long-lasting efects that “one libraries of all those interested in the history of sea turtle time” events can have on conservation (e.g. a powerful conservation, and important sites and struggles within it. cyclone in 1999; the Tsunami of 2005). He tells stories of key eras and events in Indian sea turtle conservation Te main weakness of the book is also one of its (e.g. conficts over various ports and protected areas; strengths: the level of detail. While some details are quite battles over trawling and reducing its negative impacts). fascinating, particularly with respect to the infuence Such stories are also linked to several persistent of particular individuals on conservation, I did wonder debates refected in academic writings, practitioner how many readers would have patience for such details. practice, and media treatment of the complicated At the same time, learning about a central “conservation relationships between humans and sea turtles. Shanker character’s” favourite sandwich or particularly includes insightful examples of the ‘conservation vs. harrowing feld season helps to humanize conservation, preservation’ debate, for example, by comparing stories and reminds us of hard work and key contributions. of places that have experimented with sustainable use practices, vs. those that have imposed outright bans Despite its over-attention to detail, this book is a (e.g. p. 102-109). He discusses the implementations valuable contribution to the literature on sea turtle of such actions, traces their origins, and contemplates conservation. It is an accessible survey of the history their successes and failures. Questions about success, of sea turtle conservation, with India as a focal point. he notes, are greatly infuenced by who is asking, how It is an impressive feat to write a book that bridges the
24 July 2016 macro and the micro. Te book is peppered with sea sea turtle biology including nesting biology, physiology, turtle conservation trivia, but facts are skilfully woven migration, genetics, evolutionary biology, ecology, and so together with (mostly) elegant prose that draws together on… So much has been done and yet so little is known. science, history, and human passions for improving our It is this that makes them not only fascinating to study, world. Alongside emphasizing successes and challenges but also difcult subjects for conservation” (p. 34-35). To in sea turtle conservation in India and abroad, it contains this end, Shanker asserts that we should all endeavour to critical reminders of work that remains to be done. Te remove our species-specifc conservation blinders: “Te book closes the way it begins, with sincere recognition of onus is on environmental conservationists to carefully the hard work done by pioneers such as Satish Bhaskar, choose and implement approaches that have the best Ravi Sankaran, and Manish Chandi—those who braved consequences not just for individual species but for difcult conditions, “paving the way for future generations ecosystems and diversity in the long run. Conservationists for ecologists to seek answers…”. Te passion that must seek not single-point-single-species successes, Shanker shares with many of those profled in the book is but success across geographical regions, over time refected here: “Today, biologists study various aspects of and for many taxonomic groups” (p. 108). Hear hear!
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS
Please refer to the style requirements listed below. Manuscripts e.g., INRA 2008 should be submitted in MS Word or saved as text or rich text format. Appropriate fles should be submitted by email to: iotn.editors@gmail. List personal communication references in text only. e.g. (Hariya pers. com. For further details please see www.iotn.org or consult a recent comm., 2011) issue of IOTN. Unpublished/Undated references: In press, Forthcoming, In review, etc. Language and spelling: Please follow British spelling and grammar conventions. References in list: References should appear frst in alphabetical then chronological order. Author names: Please provide full names of authors, e.g. Stanely T. Asah For references with more than 7 authors: frst 7 names, et al. Use complete page ranges. e.g., 371–379 (not 371–9); 227–235 (not Author affiliations: Please provide Department/ Centre/ Laboratory. 227–35). Institution/ University/ Organisation, City, State or Province, Country, E-mail address of corresponding author. Te symbol “#” in superscript may Reference that are long and/or have acronyms: Full name followed by be used to denote corresponding author. acronyms in parenthesis in reference list, e.g., Instituto Nacional de Reforma Agraria (INRA). 2008. Tables and figures: Figures should not be embedded in the text fle, they may be sent separately as JPEG, TIFF, BMP or PNG fles. All fgures Unpublished/Undated references: In press, Forthcoming, In review, etc. and tables should carry a caption. Figures and illustrations must be accompanied by the appropriate credit/source. High resolution fgures Examples: may be requested afer acceptance of the article. Vijaya, J. 1982. Turtle slaughter in India. Marine Turtle Newsletter 23: 2.
References in text: References should appear frst in chronological Silas, E.G., M. Rajagopalan, A.B. Fernando & S.S. Dan. 1985. Marine then alphabetical order. turtle conservation and management: A survey of the situation in Orissa 1981/82 & 1982/83. Marine Fisheries Information Service Technical & Two authors to be separated by ‘&’ symbol, e.g., as Rai & Sahu, 2001 Extension Service 50: 13-23.
More than 2 authors: frst author et al. (et al. in italics) e.g., Roy et al., Pandav, B. 2000. Conservation and management of olive ridley sea 2004 turtles on the Orissa coast. Ph.D. thesis. Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. Two publications of the same year for the same author(s), the reference in the text should be Sharma 1960a, b not 1960a, 1960b and the two Kar, C.S. & S. Bhaskar. 1982. Te status of sea turtles in the Eastern publications should be dated accordingly in the references. Indian Ocean. In: Te Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles (ed. Bjorndal, K.). Pp. 365-372. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Multiple references to be separated by a semi colon and in chronological Press. order (Zade, 1995; Mathew, 1996a, b, 1998; Sharma, et al. 2004; Forman & Gordon, 2005, 2007) Forman, R.T.T. & M. Gordon (eds.). 1986. Landscape Ecology. New York: John Wiley. Page numbers are essential when quoting or referring to some aspect or information from a report (Sharma 1960: 22 or Sharma et al. 1960: 22). Ozinga, S. 2003. Parks with people. World Rainforest Movement/FERN. http://www.fern.org/pubs/ngostats/parks.htm. Accessed on February References that are long and/or have acronyms: Only acronym in text, 25, 2006. ■
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